President Lula Attends OBMEP Awards Ceremony This Monday
Event Brings Together 684 Gold Medalists and Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the Olympics
The Brazilian Public School Mathematics Olympiad (OBMEP) will hold the National Awards Ceremony for its 20th edition this Monday (22) at 6 p.m. in Rio de Janeiro. The event will bring together the 684 gold medalists from the 2025 Games in a celebration marking two decades of the country’s largest science Olympiad.
The President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attends the ceremony alongside the Minister of Education, Leonardo Barchini, and the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Luciana Santos, and other officials. The ceremony honors the top-performing students in the knowledge competition and celebrates the impact OBMEP has had on Brazilian education over the past 20 years.
The National Awards Ceremony brings together only the gold medalists from the Olympiad. In this edition, 684 students from public and private schools won the top award. Silver and bronze medals, as well as honorable mentions, were awarded at regional events. The ceremony also honors students who have earned multiple medals throughout their participation in OBMEP. This year, 15 students will be recognized for having won four or more gold medals.
The event also includes the presentation of the Olympic Girls Trophy to the top-ranked female students in each of the competition’s three levels. Due to ties for the highest score, 26 female students will be honored—the largest number in Olympic history. Created in 2018, the initiative is part of IMPA’s efforts to encourage women’s participation in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
To take part in the ceremony, the medalists—who came from all states and the Federal District—arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. OBMEP covers the airfare for public school students and provides lodging for participants during the event.
Two decades of discovering talent
Over the past 20 years, OBMEP has established itself as one of Brazil’s most important initiatives for promoting education and discovering talent. More than just rewarding students, the Olympiad opens doors to academic and professional opportunities. Among these is the Junior Scientific Initiation Program (PIC), which offers advanced math classes and a monthly stipend of R$ 300 to public school students who have won medals in the competition.
Achievements in OBMEP have also expanded access to higher education. Several Brazilian public universities have begun reserving spots for medalists in the Knowledge Olympics, creating new pathways for talented young people to enroll in institutions of excellence.
Organized by the Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics (IMPA), with funding from the Ministry of Education (MEC) and the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI), OBMEP brings together more than 18.3 million students from 6th grade through 12th grade and reaches 99.9% of Brazilian municipalities.
“OBMEP’s 20th anniversary is a cause for celebration for the entire Brazilian education system. Over the course of these two decades, we have seen young people from every region of the country discover their potential, broaden their horizons, and seize opportunities that might once have seemed out of reach. The national ceremony is a special moment because it brings many of these stories together in one place,” says IMPA Director-General Marcelo Viana.
Created with the goal of helping to improve the quality of basic education, OBMEP identifies talented students, fosters an interest in mathematics and the sciences, and expands educational opportunities for students across the country. The initiative also promotes social inclusion by disseminating knowledge and connecting young people with universities and centers of excellence.
